Ever wonder how the water you drink every day gets to your tap? Join us for this unique tour of The Public Works Water Treatment & Distribution Service(WTDS) located along the Mississippi River. WTDS produces safe, clean drinking water for people who work in, visit and live in Minneapolis. On this tour, you'll learn about the process of treating Mississippi River water and turning it into the drinkable water. Tour capacity is limited, so sign-up as soon as possible to secure your spot.

We supply the bait, poles, tackle, encouragement and instruction so all you need to do is show up and join us on the ice. We even drill the holes through which you fish, but you can drill your own if you wish! Be sure to join a ranger in a shelter and while warming up view the mysterious world below the ice through an underwater camera.

Join us for a winter RAVE! Bring your snowshoes or borrow the park’s, and meet us by the river. We will be doing a service project followed by a snowshoe hike to the river and talk about winter wildlife and Coldwater Spring history. Volunteers will be hauling brush.

Join us in the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, a national park, for this special winter River Action Volunteer Event (RAVE). Bring your snowshoes or borrow the park’s for a restoration project at the Katharine Ordway Field Station, followed by a guided hike to the river.

We supply the bait, poles, tackle, encouragement and instruction so all you need to do is show up and join us on the ice. We even drill the holes through which you fish, but you can drill your own if you wish! Be sure to join a ranger in a shelter and while warming up view the mysterious world below the ice through an underwater camera.

Presentation of different apps people can use to enjoy nature. Last half will be a chance to test out apps like iNaturalist or how take pictures with your smartphone and spotting scope. This free event is open to everyone, no registration required.

Join us in the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, a national park, for a Survival RAVE! Participants will be helping to restore the floodplain and prairie ecosystems. This RAVE will challenge your outdoor skills (though no experience or previous knowledge is required). You’ll learn what it takes to make it outdoors in a Minnesota winter! Do some good while helping us to celebrate service, and our most special places – national parks! RAVEs are great for adults and kids over 10 years old. This is a free event for volunteers – your only ticket is your service to the river! Sign-up is required since we have limited spots.

Ever wonder how the water you drink every day gets to your tap? Join us for this unique tour of The Public Works Water Treatment & Distribution Service(WTDS) located along the Mississippi River. WTDS produces safe, clean drinking water for people who work in, visit and live in Minneapolis. On this tour, you'll learn about the process of treating Mississippi River water and turning it into the drinkable water. Tour capacity is limited, so sign-up as soon as possible to secure your spot.

Ice fishing is a quintessential Minnesota winter sport. Have you ever walked on a frozen lake? Fished through the ice? You can do that and more at our ice fishing events. On this day it isn’t even necessary for an adult to have a fishing license, as long as they are accompanied by a youth age 15 or younger.

Presentation of different apps people can use to enjoy nature. Last half will be a chance to test out apps like iNaturalist or how take pictures with your smartphone and spotting scope. This free event is open to everyone, no registration required.

Winter Trails Day is an annual winter festival open to people of all ages to come out and try a variety of winter activities for free!

Partners from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, REI, the National Park Service, Base Camp, Mississippi Park Connection, Wilderness Inquiry, Loppet Foundation, and the U.S. Forest Service will come together to provide a range of activities including cross-country skiing, ice-fishing, snowshoeing, ice sculpting, fat tire biking, and more! ASL interpreters will be available.

Come out and celebrate the season with us!

This event is free but a vehicle permit is required to enter the park ($7 for the day or $35 for the year).

Presentation of different apps people can use to enjoy nature. Last half will be a chance to test out apps like iNaturalist or how take pictures with your smartphone and spotting scope. This free event is open to everyone, no registration required.

Presentation of different apps people can use to enjoy nature. Last half will be a chance to test out apps like iNaturalist or how take pictures with your smartphone and spotting scope. This free event is open to everyone, no registration required.